His True Colors
by Wisel
Summary: Homer's dead. Marge finds herself turning to Ned Flanders and falls in love, and finds out he is quite different than she thought. Maggi comes home after two years on the run, and is still haunted by her experiences.
1. Meeting with Ned

-1"Oh, my Homie," Marge sobbed through the tissue she was pressing against her face. She stroked the wood off the coffin, and looked one last time at her husbands face. "I will always love you, Homer!" she said. Lisa and Bart helped her back to her seat. Marge closed her eyes and bent her head as Homer's coffin was closed and carried out of the church.

"Marge?" Ned approached carefully, sitting down next to Marge. "Can I get you anything?"

"No, thank you, Ned," Marge replied and looked at the man her husband had hated since they moved to Evergreen Terrace.

"I know you are going through a rough time, Marge," Ned said. "I went through the exact same thing with Maude. Well, Maude didn't-"

"Ned, I don't want to hear a word about sin and hell," Marge said just a bit to loud, just enough for the entire room to turn towards her and stare.

"I'm sorry, Marge, I shouldn't have… Maybe I should go home," Ned said. "You know where I am, if you ever need me," he said and smiled at Marge.

"Thank you, Ned," Marge said. "Could you-"

"I'll make sure they leave," he interrupted her and nodded in understanding.

Ten minutes later and Marge was still sitting in the brown couch, crying. Why Homer? Why? He was so happy…

"Mom?" Lisa said, sitting down beside her. Marge was surprised how well her now 20-year-old daughter was handling all this.

"Lisa, honey," Marge said and quickly wiped the tears away.

"Me and Bart are going to get some pizza, do you want anything?" she said softly, holding Marge's hand.

"No thank you, honey," Marge said. "There should be some money on the kitchen counter, use that." Lisa nodded and kissed Marge on her forehead.

"Lisa, you coming or what?" a man's voice called from the hall.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Lisa called back and got up from the couch to go out with Bart. "We'll be back in a second, okay?" Marge nodded and decided to get up from the couch.

"Don't rush, okay?" she said and stroked a strand of hair out of Lisa's face.

Lisa and Bart left, and Marge paced restlessly around the house. She sat down in front of the computer, searching for interesting jobs. She had to start working now that Homer was gone. Not that his salary had been anything to rely on, seeing he got fired at least once a month. More restless than ever, Marge felt that she had to get out of the house. The walls seemed to be closing in on her. Each room got smaller and smaller, until she couldn't breathe. Without thinking twice about it, she tore a piece of paper from a notepad, wrote a note for the kids and suddenly found herself in Ned Flanders's kitchen, with a steaming cup of tea in her hands.

"It's just, I don't know why he did it," Marge said. "He always seemed to be so happy…" Marge couldn't continue, the words clustered in her throat and tears burned behind her eyelids.

"I know, Marge," Ned said and patted her hand gently. "It can't be easy to handle, your husband taking his own life all of a sudden."

"I'm so worried about the children," Marge continued. "Lisa seems to be taking it well, but Bart - I just don't know. He seems so… quiet."

"I noticed," Ned replied and held Marge's hand in his own. "He's not himself."

"I know Homer never told him," Marge said, "but he was proud of his son. More than Bart could ever know."

"I think Bart knows. A child always knows." But Marge shook her head.

"I'm not sure," she said and fiddled with her wedding ring. She pulled it off her finger, just to try and recall how it was to be single. She looked up at Ned. "You look so different without your moustache, Ned."

"Really?" Ned seemed happy to hear this. "I figured it was time for a change."

"You're very handsome, Ned," Marge said, her eyes fixed on him.

"You really think so?" Ned said, but realized what Marge was trying to do. "No, Marge, you're vulnerable and I'm a good Christian, I could never-"

"Well, Ned, do you really think we will both go to hell if something was to happen?" Marge asked him simply.

"Not exactly, if we were both to say our prayers-"

"So lets do it," Marge said. "Homer-"

"Homer what, Marge?" Ned sighed. "You just lost your husband. I'm not sure I could handle- I'm not sure you really want- You just lost your husband!"

"Do you really think I just lost him now?" Marge said. "I lost Homer years ago. It's that woman, I lost him to her. And you really believe I don't know why he took his life? I told him, it was her or me. Apparently, he couldn't choose, so he took a shortcut."

"Marge, I never knew he cheated on you," Ned said in shock.

"Nobody knew," Marge sobbed. "Nobody but Homer and me and her. I caught them in our own bed, you know."

"Marge, I'm so sorry," Ned said and gripped her hand even tighter. "I never thought-"

Marge stood up. "This was a disaster. I'm leaving," she said.

"What if I don't want you to leave?" Ned asked and stood up he too.

---

Lisa and Bart sat together at the kitchen table, eating cereal and left over pizza for breakfast.

"Mom's been in Flanders's house since yesterday," Bart said.

"I hope she's okay," Lisa said and poured some milk into a glass.


	2. Maggie's Back

_Sorry about Maggie, kind of a lame explanation why she wasn__'__t at the funeral but it__'__ll have to do. Also, I'm not sure how much younger Maggie is than the other kids, so please write me a message and correct me if I'm wrong… Sorry again!_

Marge opened the door as quietly as she could, but before she had closed it she heard the scraping of chairs and footsteps hurrying out into the hall.

"Where were you last night?" Lisa said and frowned. "We were worried."

"I…" _I ended up sleeping with Mr Flanders and couldn__'__t bother to leave earlier. _"I fell asleep on Mr Flanders couch. We were, ehm, watching some home videos," she lied and looked at her children.

"Maggie's here," Lisa said and felt something stir inside of her. "She… she wished she could have come," she covered for her sister, who had run away two years ago after a big fight between her and Homer. Lisa knew Maggie hated their father bitterly, but she had still looked a bit shaken up when she arrived at their door.

"Maggie was here?" Marge said and could feel tears burning behind her eyelids.

"I am here, mom," a familiar voice said and Marge turned towards the living room. "Oh, Maggie, don't ever do that again!" She rushed over to hug her daughter, who had been on the run for the past two years.

"I won't," Maggie promised.

"How'd you find out about your father?" Marge said and held her daughter's shoulders and carefully studied her.

"Word's on the street," Maggie said. "How could anyone miss the fact that Homer Simpson committed suicide because-"

"Let's get you something warm to eat, honey," Marge interrupted. Maggie was the only one who knew about Homer's affair, and Marge wasn't ready to tell the other children about it yet. She ushered Maggie into the kitchen and sat her down at the table.

"Mom, really, you don't-" Maggie started.

"I'm making you waffles," Marge said. "You haven't had my waffles for years, and I think it's right about time you had some."

"Mom!" Maggie said and Marge turned against her. "You haven't told them yet, have you?"

"Honey," Marge said and sighed. She knelt down beside Maggie's chair. "Maggie, look at me. I know you're very mad with your father, and I know you think you hate him." Maggie stubbornly gazed through the window. "Maggie, please listen to me. There's nothing to do about you not going to the funeral yesterday, but if you could just go to the graveyard and leave a flower, anything. Your father would be so happy!"

"Well, guess what mom?" Maggie said. "I don't care about Homer. I don't care if he'd be happy. Homer Simpson is not my father!"

"Maggie," Marge whispered. "No matter what you say, he is and will always be your father. He loved you." Marge bit her lip, hesitating. "And what ever you say, he loved me too."

"Mom, can't you see it?" Maggie said and got up from the chair. "He stopped loving you years ago. The minute he decided to sleep with her, he stopped loving you!"

"No!" Marge said and stood up. She wouldn't have this in her own kitchen.

"Yes, mom, get a grip! He didn't love you!" Maggie left the kitchen, but turned in the doorway. "I know you know. Or you would never have gone to Flanders' house last night." She rushed up the stairs and slammed the door to her old room.

"Mom?" Lisa and Bart came into the kitchen. Marge sunk down onto a chair and stared ahead of her with a distant look in her eyes. "Mom, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, honey," Marge said in a far from convincing voice.

"Was Maggie telling the truth?" Bart said and sat down opposite her. "About Homer?" Marge leaned her head in her hands.

"Yes," she said after a while.

"Oh, mom, why didn't you tell us?" Lisa said and knelt down beside Marge.

"I didn't want you to hate him," Marge sobbed and stretched for a tissue. "Like your sister does." Lisa hugged her mom and whispered into her ear.

"We don't," she whispered. "We're just mad. So is Maggie. But she can't see what it's doing to you, when she acts out like that," she finished and handed Marge a new tissue.

Her nights were filled with nightmares. Her days were filled with obstacles she had to climb, jump and crawl constantly. Just a simple thing, like going to the Kwik-E-Mart was a struggle. Every single thing seemed to remind her about Homer, and thinking about Homer wasn't easy.

It was like it wasn't enough that she had to dream about him at night. Him - and that woman. Marge didn't even know her name. Then again, she hardly knew her own name nowadays.

It was one of those days. Lisa had gone back to college, and Bart was busy working. Maggie was still mad at Marge, and that alone was making the obstacles harder to climb, harder to jump, harder to crawl through. They were out of milk. Marge sat down in the car and drove off. Maggie hadn't responded when Marge knocked at the door and asked her if she would like to come. Marge worried, constantly - what if she climbed out the window again? But Maggie was hardly that dumb.

Marge got out of the car and stepped into the Kwik-E-Mart. People were living their every day lives, as usual - Marge discovered she found it very strange that the world hadn't come to a stop when Homer died. Like it had done for her. People just lived their ordinary lives while Marge sat on the sofa wishing the old buffoon was alive.

She got her milk and quickly headed for the cash register, but a familiar face caught her eye. She stopped and pretended to choose what sort of ice cream to buy, and studied the face carefully.

Where had she seen her before?

Suddenly she remembered - in her own bed.


	3. Tears for Daddy

-1Maggie carefully opened the door, as quiet as she could. She had heard Marge leave for the shops a while ago. The house was quite empty and silent, except for the sound of Maggie's door creaking silently, and something that could be identified as Santa's Little Helper rummaging in the kitchen.

"Hello, boy," Maggie said and dropped to her knees. Santa's Little Helper happily greeted her by drooling on her t-shirt and licking her face. "I actually missed you," Maggie whispered and scratched him behind the ears.

Getting to her feet, she looked at the door of the fridge. It looked much the same as the last time she saw it. She opened the door and started searching the contents of the fridge. She found a bar of chocolate and sat down at the kitchen table, studying the expiration date. She remembered being told about the time Homer had eaten a pack of old baking soda on a dare. Homer… she shook her head. She mustn't think of her father now.

A door slammed, and Maggie quickly jumped to her feet. Surely, she couldn't be back so soon…? She had barely be gone ten minutes! The door opened and, to her relief, Bart entered the kitchen, throwing his car keys on the kitchen counter and opening the fridge.

"Hey, sis'," he greeted her and scratched Santa's Little Helper on the back. "Nice too see you out of your room, for once," he said and sat down in a chair. "How do you survive up there?" he asked her and threw his feet up on the table.

"I come down when _she _isn't home," Maggie said and opened her chocolate bar. "And I manage to eat something once in a while. It's getting harder, seeing she never ever leaves this stupid kitchen."

"Really?" Bart sounded surprised.

"Yeah, really. She just sits here and cries all day."

"She never cries when I'm home."

"She puts on a good face for you," Maggie said and rolled her eyes. "She thinks I don't hear her when I'm up in my room. Like the walls aren't thin enough to hear everything." Bart grunted and took his feet down. They sat in silence, until Maggie got up, preparing to spend another week locked up in her room.

"Maggie, stay," Bart said. "You're not making anyone feel better by sitting up in your room all day. Let alone yourself," he said and looked at her.

"I can decide what's good for me myself," Maggie said and started to leave.

"Maggie, it's not only _you _who feels bad!" Bart said. Maggie was shocked by the sudden anger in his voice. "There are other people in this house as well! People who have feelings. Like you."

"Bart-"

"Shut up!" Bart yelled. "It's like you're the only one who matters, that's what you think, right? You think mom never respects your feelings, isn't that true?"

"She doesn't," Maggie yelled back. "She doesn't, ok?"

"That is a lie, and you know it! Mom cares about you, she loves you more than anything, _anything_, she would die for you! All she talks about is you! _You_! You and your _feelings_!"

"Well-"

"Shut UP!" Bart yelled again. "Did you ever think of the fact that you are making all of us feel like crap? Lisa worries about you. She calls _every single minute _to make sure you're all right! I worry about you! I can't stand the fact that you sit up there all alone, cooped up in your room! And mom-" Maggie could see tears in Bart's eyes. He was struggling to keep his voice from cracking up. "Mom worries most of all. Why do you think she sits down here and cries all day?" Maggie was lost for words. She didn't want to hear anymore. "Maggie, look at me. Mom loves you. She already thinks it's her fault dad died. She doesn't need this." Maggie wanted to smack Bart for telling her this.

"You don't think I constantly think about this?" she said, finding it hard to speak. Her throat was getting thick, and her sight blurred by tears.

"So put and end to it!" Bart said. "Don't fight-"

"It's not that easy, Bart!"

"What's so hard about it?" Maggie didn't know what to answer. "Mom would forgive you like that-" he snapped his fingers "-if you would just find it in your heart to forgive her." Maggie looked down. Sobbing, she started to speak.

"Maybe I shouldn't have come home," she whispered.

"Maggie," Bart said. "Maggie, don't say that. You know we wanted you to come home." Maggie couldn't take this anymore. She started to cry uncontrollably. She leaned her head on Bart's shoulder, and he put his arms around her. They stood there, rocking back and forth for a while.

"I… want… my… daddy," she sobbed and could feel Bart's tears making her hair wet. "I want daddy!" she whispered again and cried even harder. For the first time since her father had died, Maggie cried.


End file.
